'It's another chance for us. We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil'

The 42

2 days ago

FOR DENISE O'SULLIVAN, the disappointment of not completing the Nations League mission in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, soon gave way to the optimism that the impending play-offs bring.
Preparation for that begins with an international friendly double-header against the United States in June. O'Sullivan has confirmed that she will be available for selection.
She had over 40 family members in the crowd on Tuesday night, all watching on as Ireland tried relentlessly to get the four-goal victory they needed against Slovenia. Saoirse Noonan provided the only goal of the night as Ireland came up short at full-time.
'They're waiting for me up in the lounge and all having a beer,' O'Sullivan said after another one of her trademark performances that was built on workrate. She shared the pitch with two other Cork natives Saoirse Noonan and Megan Connolly and was thrilled to be playing in front of a home crowd again.
'A different buzz. I know there were fewer fans compared to France last year but the crowd was still really good. They were really noisy and I'm proud to come back here.'
That 1-0 result means Ireland finish second in Group B2 and must go to promotion/relegation play-offs in October. Their opponents will be third-placed League A outfit, and a draw on Friday afternoon at 12pm will determine who Ireland will face in a two-legged tie. Austria, Iceland, Belgium and Denmark are all in the mix to face Carla Ward's side. League A status would significantly boost their 2027 World Cup qualification hopes.
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'All high level,' O'Sullivan said about the quality of those teams.
'We'll have to be ready for that but it's another chance for us. We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil. That defeat against Wales from last year can stand to us going into the playoff. We've learnt a lot, it still hurts a lot because the pain hasn't gone from that game.'
That Wales defeat last December denied Ireland a place at the European Championship which gets underway next month. O'Sullivan will be trying her best to avoid the coverage of the games but will monitor the results for her North Carolina Courage teammates who will be playing.
'I think I'll be switching the TV off, doing everything I can not to watch it but I have teammates from Courage playing in it. I know I'm saying I'll be switching the TV off but I'll watch to cheer them on. It's still devastating not to be there, for sure.'
Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, O'Sullivan is content with Ireland's record of five wins from six games. She points to the change in management which took place in January when Carla Ward took over from Eileen Gleeson to guide Ireland through the rest of their 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup campaign.
O'Sullivan says the team is still learning to adapt to the former Aston Villa manager's preferred style of play.
'It will definitely take time. The way Carla and staff are implementing her style of play, it doesn't happen overnight. You can see even in the first half how we created a number of chances. As a team we want to keep doing that and get better.
'There's definitely been a lot of change. It took a long time to find our feet and way. In We didn't start well in any game but came out with wins which shows the team's character. I still think we're still trying to get used to the way Carla and the staff want us to play but five wins out of six is positive.'
Looking ahead to the friendlies against the United States, O'Sullivan says she is looking forward to sidestepping the usual jetlag that comes with reporting for international duty. Captain Katie McCabe will not be travelling due to a hectic season which ended in Champions League glory with Arsenal recently. Ireland boss Ward says that there are others in similar circumstances who are likely to miss the trip.
But O'Sullivan is happy to be involved.
'I'll be in the US,' says O'Sullivan. 'It's my one week in the whole year I get off from Courage but that's okay. I'm happy to play because any chance I get playing for my country I want to be there.
'I'm excited. For once, I don't have to travel 20 hours. I won't have jet lag but the rest will.
'USA are a top, top team and we can go out to challenge ourselves. It will be a brilliant experience.'